


Taking a Break

by Irish_coffee



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: Bookworms Unite, Gen, Just so you know: I've got nothing against Dickens, Library Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-03 14:19:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13343019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irish_coffee/pseuds/Irish_coffee
Summary: Even geniuses need a break from their revolutionary ideas sometimes.Or how Nikola got hold of something more than a key.





	Taking a Break

Even geniuses need a break from their revolutionary ideas sometimes. 

Of course, Nikola didn't usually have much time for breaks; a catastrophe would turn the sanctuary upside down at random times and his brilliant mind was sure to be put to good use by a tyrannical Dr. Magnus. Although he had to admit that, as he was financed, fed and housed at her expenses, it was not too much of a price to pay. 

Anyway, the coast was clear that day. The week had turned out to be so uneventful that, paradoxically, he could not even focus on his personal research. So there he was, perambulating through the library, looking for some work of fiction that would satisfy his taste for good literature. 

He had not expected to find Helen sitting at a table in the most remote corner of her library though. She was reading a rather large volume, taking notes on the side in a leather notebook. It somehow reminded him of their days at Oxford, when she would feverishly spend nights studying before taking an exam. The thought of it made him smile. So she had not exactly given up on that nasty habit then... 

“Interesting book?” He asked, leaning on the table, facing her. 

She didn't raise her head. She was rather hoping he would not try and distract her, as her review of the work she was going through was due later in that week and she was behind in her schedule. Still, she showed him the cover single-handedly, not stopping in her writing. 

He didn't go past the first three words of the much too long French title. Of course, he could have understood it all. His few years of working in Paris had turned him into a fluent speaker. He could even boast a better accent than her, despite her having been Pasteur's goddaughter. Still, three words were enough to make sure he wouldn't be interested in the subject. Cryptozoology was her thing, not his. 

“On a scale of zero to Darwin, how scandalous is it?” He wondered. 

That made the corner of her lips twitch, and she at last looked up. 

“Are you referring to Erasmus or Charles?” She challenged with a glint of amusement in her eyes. 

He shrugged. 

“Don't get me started.”

She had absolutely no wish to. 

“Did you need anything?” She asked, leaving his initial question unanswered. 

He straightened himself, remembering his aim in coming to the library. 

“Actually, you might be helpful. I'm looking for some brilliant work of fiction that I still have to discover.” He explained, a hand on his hip. 

She raised an eyebrow. Of course, she knew Nikola had a sweet tooth for literature and poetry alike. However, they rarely discussed their readings, so she had no clue as to what he had or had not read. 

“Ah.” She let out, before giving it a serious thought. “Well, I guess you still haven't been through Dickens' work.” She reflected, with only the hint of a smile. 

She was sure of that. He had confessed to her his hatred of Oliver Twist once, while outstandingly drunk. She could understand him. He certainly knew more about poverty than the notorious writer... The fact that he had never communicated his address to her while in London was a sure evidence of it. 

Nikola made a face. 

“Oh please! If I want a reminder of what a terrible place the world is, I'll switch the T.V on, thank you.” He protested. 

She sighed. Nikola Tesla was really the only bookworm that could still complain while standing in the middle of the tremendous amount of books she had collected over two lifespans. 

She gestured to the walls around them. 

“If you don't find anything to read here, then I don't know what you need.” 

He crinkled his nose.

“Truly, Helen, if you want to qualify for the best private collection in the world, you'll have to take Twilight off its shelf.” He protested. 

Of course he knew better than to think Helen herself had bought it, but her furry carpet of a butler had more than dubious tastes, if you asked him. Belle surely would have found an escape from the beast's castle had she found such trash in his library. 

She raised a supercilious eyebrow at him. 

“Fine, fine.” He went on. “I went through nearly all the shelves. No book called out to me.” He confessed. 

That was not an unusual issue with him. He would feel like reading for the sake of it, go through the piles of books that lay haphazardly here and there in his room, and none would inspire him. He usually ended up picking one with his eyes closed, read a few pages and give up, realizing he was not focused. A novel had to be really good if it were to focus his mind completely. 

“I'm truly sorry for you, Nikola. But I don't see how I can be of help.” 

He shrugged. 

“What was the last novel you read?” He asked. 

Maybe some suggestion coming from someone with refined tastes would help.

Helen pursed her lips, thinking. She read a lot. Anytime she could. Yet, most of the time, she was not reading for fun but catching up on the last scientific papers which had been  
released while she was quietly saving the world, one abnormal after the other. 

“I can't remember.” She confessed. 

It was Nikola's time to roll his eyes.

“See? You should put this annoying thing down and settle in the couch with me. What about it? I could pour you a drink and read aloud. And we could share our thoughts on the reading material while we go through it.” 

Helen huffed. She had not done such a thing for... Well, actually, if her memory served her right? Since their early days as students. Before the five, even. They had been thrown out  
of the library quite a few times for not being able to stop giggling. What for? She had no idea now. Probably some silly newspaper article. The library was hers now, and they could laugh as much as they wanted and read for hours without being glared at by angry students. Overall, it was a very appealing idea. Still, she was busy.

She shook her head, a fond smile lightening up her face. 

“Maybe some other day.” 

Nikola's hopes deflated, and Helen sighed, rummaging through her pencil case to take a small key out. 

“Here, take this.” She said, handing it out to her friend, who smirked. 

“My my, Helen, feeling the need to protect your secrets in your own house?” He whispered, his face getting closer and closer to hers. 

“Oh no, this one...” She paused for effect, “opens the showcase in my office. My all time favorites are there, well protected from anyone who may or may not have a tendency to eat  
while reading or dog-ear pages.” She whispered back in a suave voice, looking right into his eyes. 

Nikola felt an electric shiver run down his spine at that. That was trust. 

He took the key, his fingers lingering in her palm for a moment longer than necessary, and placed it carefully in his breast pocket. 

“Your secret's safe with me.” He promised, turning to leave. 

Helen couldn't help the smile that spread on her lips while taking up her pen again. 

“Oh and Nikola?” She called as he was about to leave the room. 

He stopped, but didn't turn.

“I won't hesitate to shoot you if anything happens to my private collection.” She warned. 

He looked back at her, grinning. 

“I wouldn't expect any less.”


End file.
